Lights, Props, Kill, ACTION!
by Art.Music.Drama.OhMy
Summary: After a body is found at a park, the FBI have been asked to help catch the Phantom, a serial killer who dresses up local actors and kills them similar to the deaths in broadway shows. Extended summary inside. Colby/OC, Colby/David NO SLASH!
1. Chapter 1

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything :( Except for Rae ;)  
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**AN: This is a little AU, just that David wasn't offered the job. I love writing Colby and David's relationship too much, but I wanted Charlie and Amita to be married.**

**Summary: After a body is found at a park, the FBI have been asked to help catch the Broadway Killer, a serial killer who dresses up local actors and kills them similar to famous broadway shows. After forgiving him for "the Janus list", Colby may lose some of his friends newly gained trust, after learning of complications with the woman he loves, who is also a suspect in the case. To make matters worse, Colby never introduced his girlfriend to the team, being with her behind their back. Colby/OC.**

* * *

><p>A small town FBI agent who works 15 hours a day, 7 days a week, goes home just to sleep, eat, and stay in shape, and drives a black sports car is the sexiest guy ever. Well, David Sinclair and Colby Granger hoped so. Unfortunately the job, and the whole triple-agent thing, took over their lives, so no dating was even remotely possible.<p>

"…I mean, come on, Nikki has got to realize that our jobs are our lives. We have no life left for romance, even if she finds time for Ian." David was saying as Colby tried to navigate their way to the crime scene.

"Hey, the job has taken over your life. I got a date tonight, Mr. Jealous. Turn here." Colby pointed in the right direction, trying to hide a smug half-smile. Somehow he was able to date his best-friend's baby-sister, though they were all only a few months apart. 15 months to be exact.

David glanced at him, "Who would date that ugly mug? The hooker on your desk?" He quickly patted Colby's cheek.

"Leave her alone. She's not a hooker. And my type of ugly is pretty sexy apparently…but, strangely enough, your type of ugly is still ugly. Girls like the rugged, small town boy... and the bastard child of Dirty Harry and Yoda." He teased back, shoving David's shoulder. The two men acted more like brothers then Don and Charlie, though Nikki swears up and down that the boy's unique relationship is more husband-and-wife.

"Turn left here and then we should be able to see…ah!" Colby instructed as they reached the crime scene.

"…Pity. I love this place." Charlie murmured as a greeting to the FBI agents. "Locals called this exact spot 'Lincoln's rock' because the crevasse look like Ford Theatre, where Lincoln was assassinated." He said as he walked in a small circle, getting a feel for the spot. Nearby was a park, fading into hiking trails, and a mountain, where the flats and steps were common partying areas.

"Welcome back, Charlie!" The boys said in unison.

"How is Amita? How was England?" David asked, making sure Charlie wasn't in anyone's way.

Colby lifted himself onto the protruding rock, sitting next to Don, watching the calm beach scene in front of them. The sheer beauty of the sight took his breath away. "This reminds me of home." He said under his breath.

"Oh really? I didn't know Idaho had an ocean view." Don gave one of his rare smiles.

"I would tell you 'when pigs fly' but Larry mentioned to me something about its now incorrect term, so I'll get back to you on that." Colby wiped out his notepad. "What's the story, morning glory?" He asked, looking at the scene below him.

The dead woman was beautiful, high cheekbones, long dark hair, and big chocolate eyes. She was dressed in a pure, white gown that was ruined in blood.

"Nicolette Pettrovia, Romanian, second generation. 25, lives with a roommate on 5th and Marshall. Single gunshot to the chest, Charlie thinks roughly from where 'Lincoln' is." Don pointed to the crevasse next to them. "She works at a dance studio below her flat, so you and David can hit her place, while I finish up here." He jumped down, with Colby on his tail. David walked up to them, cell phone glued to an ear.

"Okay…Okay! Yes…Yea, here's Don." David passed the phone over with an unreadable expression.

"Eppes."

_"Don! It's Liz."_

"What's up?"

_"I think that your vic is a part of a very complicated serial killing that will stay unsolved until we get off the high horse and get some help."_

"Like Charlie help?"

_"No. This guy tells you everything you need to know in the killing before. Check the victim's mouth."_

Don motioned to the coroner. "Check the mouth." The coroner delicately opened the mouth, to find a crumpled sheet of paper.

"Found it."

_"From the other reports, it's probably in victim's handwriting and a lyric to some song."_

"Did anyone try to, I don't know, Google it?"

_"That's the thing… It's only one line. To generic to find anything." _She said, rapid typing, clicking and drinking (hopefully coffee) in the background.

Don grabbed a pair of latex gloves and opened the paper.

"I'm gunna live forever." David read.

"Eh! No reading over my shoulder!"

_"Look I gotta go, but Nikki and I will try to find something from past reports. Bye."_

"Bye." Don hung up the phone and gave it back to David. "Now you two, scat!" He ordered, schooing them away as he steered Charlie out of the CSI's paths.

* * *

><p><em>Wow…<em>

The Lillianna Theatre was grand and beautiful in it's simplicity. Nine pillars supported the many arches, with each of the muses guarding them. The building reminded David of an old library in the Bronx. The Dance Studio next to it, Royal Flower Dance Studio, was completely different. The sleek modern look and feel gave it hope, great for a street like 5th. Next to the Theatre were a few apartments, which David and Colby immediately walked to.

* * *

><p>"Hello. FBI. David Sinclair and this is Colby Granger. Is this Nicolette Pettrovia's flat?" David flashed his badge. The petite girl who answered the door shook her head; strands of auburn hair tickling her shoulders, Big blue eyes were placed on a soft round face, right above a pixie nose and plump lips. Even though she was in her twenties, the roommate was only about 5'1"-5'2". And for a Dancer, she was surprisingly curvy, but, in the boy's opinion, only in the best ways.<p>

"Yea, I'm Rae Smith. Come on in." She answered in a clipped British tone, slowly opening the door. The agents nodded their thanks as they entered the room. At one glance, they could tell these girls were serious dancers. The main room was made up of a large, commonly used kitchen and a wooden floor, a mirrored wall and bar next to it. Only a corner was dedicated to a TV and couches circulating a coffee table.

In the car, David and Colby decided that David would talk and Colby would look. Colby's job, he decided, was much harder, seeing as most of the pictures were of the girls at dance, wearing only cheer shorts and tanktops. It didn't help that the small-town boy found the urban hot pick walls with the black trim was pretty damn sexy. He glanced over at the roommate, who seemed to be taking the news hard. He walked to the kitchen and got the girl a glass of water.

"You and Nicolette were close?" David asked, picking up a photo off the table. The girls were fully dressed (thank god) in formal wear. Nicolette was in a soft pink halter, laughing and leaning on a brightly smiling Rae, who was dressed in a fiery red and black strapless.

"As close as two girls can be. Nick and I met in high school. That is us at prom. We grew up together in a small town in England, but we moved here on the west coast when we were about 13. We worked at the Studio to help cover collage costs and then for extra cash. A few years ago the owner sold it to us, so she could finally retire. Two girls who have degrees in Criminology, English ED, and Health with a passion for dancing…It turned into the most popular studios in California, especially with the theatre next door." She stopped to take a sip of water. "Now I don't know what I'm going to do."

Colby sat down next to the girl and started rubbing small circles on her back. "Shh…you seem like a smart chick. You'll figure out somethin'." He murmured as she snuffled back tears. "But, as soon as ya think ya can, we need to see, umm, Nick's room."

She looked up at him, eyes brimming with unshed tears, grabbing her water and walked them to the other room. The room was pained pale pink, posters of Ballerinas covering all available surfaces. The bed was a classic black rote-iron with white sheets carefully made. A few of the pictures, above her bed and her vanity, had "starring Nicolette Pettrovia!" written below the victim's picture. That was only one half of the room.

The other half faded into a rich purple. Rae's bedroom. Her side was covered in various posters for theatre shows she had seen or was involves, children's artwork, as well as movie and music posters. Bookshelves took over the lower half of one of the walls. Gold and purple sheets laid messily on her bed, the twin to Nicolette's.

"That half was Nick's. God, we were best friends, no secrets." Rae whispered, sliding onto Nicolette's bed.

"Do you know anyone who would gain from her death?" David asked as gently as he could, rummaging in Nicolette's desk.

"No. The girls at the theatre were glad she got the leads. They could relax for once. Money wise, she was very well off, but she left it to her families. Most to the Studio, then the Theatre, and the rest would go to me. I did the same with her, though an English teacher salary isn't as much. That's why I started working at the Studio." She shrugged, honesty glowing in her eyes.

David gave Rae a stack of past victims and suspect's pictures. "Do you recognize any of these people?"

She flipped through, studying every photo closely. "Umm… I think so. I don't know any names, but talk with local theatres. I see shows all the time, they could have been in them." She bit her lip, unsure of herself, as she pushed back her hair.

"Not at a bar or anything while you were having a girl's night out? Dating?" David questioned.

"No. I have not had a night off in a bloody long time." She turned her attention to Colby. "And I haven't been to a bar since I met my boyfriend which was roughly four-five months?"

Colby smiled grimly, "We'll come back soon to get a statement. Nice meeting you." He shook Rae's hand, and turned around, shoving his hands into his pockets as he waited for David.

"Nice meeting you. Oh! Just for formality, where were you yesterday?" David asked, shaking her hand.

Rae froze. "Um… Work till 3:30, Dance till 6:45, then a show till11:30-ish."

David smiled cunningly. "And then you just what? Went to sleep? A pretty girl like you?"

She shifted, uncomfortably. "My boyfriend picked me up, we grabbed dinner and I slept over at his place."

Colby grabbed his pen and notepad. "We need the number."

Rae quickly glanced from David to Colby to the pad as she wrote down the number.

* * *

><p>"Do you think she's lying?" David asked as they walked to the car.<p>

"You wanna know what I think?" Colby leaned on the car. He continued after David nodded. "She's a pretty famous actress among the local theatres. She's able to lie better. I think she told the truth, reluctantly, but told the uncomfortable truth. Still, she doesn't want us to find out somethin'. I'll do a background."

"You? Offering to do a background? What's wrong?" David wondered out loud as he started the car.

"She…intrigues me."

"Intrigues you."

"Yea. I took a date to go see a show that she did, after dinner. It was phenomenal. She was Eponine in _Les Miserables_. Had me almost in tears. That was Pop's favorite, the only show that he would insist on taking my ma out to see, only to complain about it the entire way home…It kept their marriage together, I think. Raising three boys that were all about the same age was tough enough not to mention Demon Child. And practically alone, with Pop as a cop."

That startled David. Colby never talked about his family, other then he grew up in Idaho and his dad died when Colby was 15. David always thought that Colby was an only child. Though, after the Janus List, no one knew how much of Colby's known past was true. "You had siblings?" He asked, surprised.

"Yep… I had a younger brother who died in a car crash when I was in Afghanistan, that's why I did two tours. They sent me home for the funeral. Jamie… Him, I actually miss. Then there was my older brother, only 2 years older, he ran away after my dad's death and his graduation. I still think he was gay, but you know small northwest towns, you ain't allowed to go against how God made you." Colby confided. A smile crept onto his face. "Then there was Demon Child. You think evil twins are only in stories? Nope. They are most definitely real. God, Football was the only escape from her and even then she was on the cheerleading team. Gahh, Rosie was the most annoying person on the face of the earth. The bad thing about twins, you usually like similar things. We liked exactly the same things, but we hated each other. Of course schools were all 'Oh twins! That's so cute! And they have similar schedules so lets put them in all the same classes!' and she was Ma and Pop's little girl, who got a pregnancy scare at 16 with my best friend behind my back." Colby sucked on his teeth. "Wait. How did I get to telling you about my family?" He asked, glancing at a smiling David.

"_Les Miserables._"

"Oh..Right…" They shared a smile.

"So you wanna hear about the chaos of an African-American family living in the Bronx?"

"Ehh, I probably watch enough TV to know, but still, enlighten me." Colby teased, getting a punch from David.

"Oh bring it on, Southern!"

"Idaho ain't Southern! Just because I can't pronounce "ee"s doesn't mean anything!"

"Yea, Stiring will…OW!"

* * *

><p><em>Later, that evening….<em>

"I can't believe she's gone. And that I lied to the FBI!" Rae murmured to the man she was snuggling against.

"You didn't lie. You told the truth and you gave them my personal cell number so they can't do anything."

"GAHH!" Rae moaned, as she got up to get some wine. "I mean what if they find out about us. You could get in trouble and-and-and I don't know what else! But it would still be bad! I mean…I withheld information!"

The man sighed, "Technically you didn't…"

"YES I DID!"

He got up to stand in front of her. His large frame swamped her small one. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her in for a reassuring hug.

"Hey I did the background and called me all by myself. You have an alibi with me." Colby Granger smiled, kissing his girlfriend softly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything :( Except for Rae ;)  
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**AN: This is a little AU, just that David wasn't offered the job. I love writing Colby and David's relationship too much, but I wanted Charlie and Amita to be married.**

**Summary: After a body is found at a park, the FBI have been asked to help catch the Broadway Killer, a serial killer who dresses up local actors and kills them similar to famous broadway shows. After forgiving him for "the Janus list", Colby may lose some of his friends newly gained trust, after learning of complications with the woman he loves, who is also a suspect in the case. To make matters worse, Colby never introduced his girlfriend to the team, being with her behind their back. Colby/OC.**

* * *

><p>Liz Warner stretched in her seat, glancing over to her partner Nikki Betancourt. They had been at the computers for hours, trying desperately to find anything that could help.<p>

"Well… I got nothing. It's just one line. We need help." Nikki said, handing Liz a cup of coffee, as she leaned on the desk.

Liz shook her head in agreement. "I'll talk with Don."

"'Bout what?"

"Speak of the Devil and He shall come…" Liz muttered as she spun around.

"Hey, don't complement the devil for being this badass." Don joked as he stood in front of the girls.

"Well, what's all that badass going to do with no lead on the lyrics? It's not enough of the song and too generic." Nikki inquired, taking a sip of her much loved coffee.

"Well… The roommate of the latest victim has a solid alibi, according to Colby. She is big in the theatre area, we could ask her for help." Don suggested, motioning to Colby.

"Why not? She could see things differently, like Charlie." Liz agreed.

"Colby! I need you to get the Roommate, Rae something. She knows you… We'll see what she has to offer." Don shouted, noticing the lack of pictures on his desk. "What happened with the hooker-I mean date?" Don tried to stop the nickname, but he heard it so many times that, occasionally, he couldn't stop even himself.

Colby grabbed his badge, gun and cell. "Umm nothing, I kind of mentioned the nickname here so she's getting me a, uhh, better work photo."

Liz and Nikki could barely contain their laughter, grabbing each other for support as Don placed a pitying hand on Colby's shoulder.

"Help me." He whispered to Don as he headed to the elevator.

-FLASHBACK-

_"Ooo, Granger! How much did you have to pay the hooker to get this picture?" Nikki teased, stealing the frame as she passed._

_"Give it! She's not a hooker.' Colby chased her to Liz's desk, who Nikki quickly passed it to._

_"Humm…If she's not a hooker and she doesn't look like a Granger then that means… DAVID! Your boy-toy got himself a new pretty little girlfriend." Liz shouted as she studied the picture. The girl had a simple girl-next-door look, with long, blond striped hair, big blue eyes, and full lips. She was on the floor in a split, looking up at the camera. She wasn't super skinny (she defiantly had some curves), but did have toned muscles. Dressed in only cheer shorts and a tanktop, Liz could see how Nikki teased Colby about the girl being a hooker, but Liz saw the brains behind that pretty little face. Colby snatched the picture back._

_"Nice job, Colby." Liz said, seriously._

_"Thanks Liz… The problem is… She's like a drug, She makes the bad things go away and I always want to see her."_

_"Sweetie… That's love."_

-END-FLASHBACK-

* * *

><p>"…Epics are usually very long, but can anyone tell me how Percy Jackson could be considered an Epic?" Rae stood in front of the class, dressed up in an Ancient Greek outfit. A small girl in the front raised her hand.<p>

"It would be an Epic because…. It's a story about a journey with many stops at different places?" She said, questioningly.

"Very good Marcy! What else? Think about the vocabulary words and maybe the characters… Yes, Tristen." Rae smiled at how smart her kids were.

"Annabeth has hummus." A boy in the back answered.

"Umm… I think you mean Hubris, but close enough. Percy thinks she said hummus in the book-Yes Marcy?"

"There's a man at the door." She pointed at Colby, who smiled and waved Rae over to him.

She opened the classroom door and stepped out, worry on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin' wrong." He reassured her. "My boss needs your help."

Her eyes widened in fear. "Okay. But I have to finish up here."

He nodded. "I'll wait. But maybe they would like to meet a real life FBI agent." His lips slid into a light pout.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine… Everyone this is FBI Special Agent Colby Granger. I'm sure we all can get some good questions to ask him, but first who would like to tell Agent Granger what we are reading now?" She announced as they stepped back into the room, with Colby, waving at the kids, behind her.

A blonde, pigtailed girl in the front raised her hand. "Are you...involved with Ms. Smith?"

Colby just stared at the small girl. "Um, no. Who are you?"

"Joanne Kentrich." The girl replied in a brisk tone.

"Well, Joanne, you have a very good vocabulary. Are you thinking of what you want to be when you grow up?" Colby asked, falling to one knee in front of the desk.

She nodded. "My parents always told me, 'It's never too early to think about the future'."

Colby considered the quote. "May I suggest becoming a lawyer? I have a friend who you remind me of who is a lawyer."

She scrunched her face in concentration, thinking about what he said, eventually agreeing that she would like to be a lawyer.

A boy in the back, dressed in a simple teeshirt, raised his hand next, "Agent Granger, were you ever a cop? What do you think we should do if we want to be FBI agents or spies or ninjas? Do you really need school?"

Colby stood up, poker face instantly appearing by reflex. "No, I was never a cop. There's not much of a need in Idaho. I don't suggest being a spy. It's very hard and you have to lie about everything to everyone. You definitely need school, we have a mathematician help us all the time. But if you want to be anything, even a ninja, work hard in school, work hard at everything. Stay out of trouble. Pick elective that you want to do, even if you think it's useless for what you want to be. I took Food Prep in high school and it was actually useful at FBI Academy." Colby hoped that was the right thing to say to a bunch of middle schoolers. He blanched at the number of hands that were raised. _If only Don or David was with me... _

* * *

><p>The conference room at FBI headquarters was usually full of whiteboards, covered in Charlie or Otto's equations. But today the whiteboards were blank, waiting for someone else to write on them. Don, Otto and Charlie were in the middle of the room slowly spinning around as Amita watched on from her seat behind the computer. Colby burst into the room with a tiny woman, dressed in a simple outfit of a blue button down shirt and jeans, in tow. "Sorry Don, She works as an English teacher."<p>

"Nah, it's fine Colby. Hi, I'm Don Eppes, Ms…." Don shrugged it off, offering a hand.

"Smith, but, please, call me Rae." Rae smiled as she accepted his hand, and introduced herself to Otto, Charlie and Amita. "So, what did you need me for?" She asked, sitting down.

"The serial killer that murdered Nicolette leaves behind clues in a line of lyrics. No one here has a good enough Broadway knowledge to figure it out… The line is 'I'm gunna live forever.' Do you have any idea at all?" Don asked, writing the lyric on a whiteboard.

Rae slowly got up and walked to the computer, quickly typing, and started writing on the whiteboard as music played.

_Remember my name_  
><em>Fame!<em>  
><em><span>I'm gonna live forever<span>_  
><em>I'm gonna learn how to fly high<em>  
><em>I feel it coming together<em>  
><em>People will see me and cry<em>  
><em>Fame!<em>

She stepped back to quickly admire her work, only to write the scariest words the team had ever seen.

_VICTIM WILL OVERDOSE. CRIMESCENE POSSIBLY BE AT AN ACTING SCHOOL, OR IN AN ALLY NEAR A THEATRE OR CONCERT HALL._

They were in shock.

"Explain." Was all Charlie could manage to say.

"Well, the lyric is from '_Fame on 42nd Street_'. It's about an Arts school in New York City. Anyway the main character, Carmen, sings this and she dies from an overdose. Can you write the other lyrics and how the according victims died? Just to see how it works." Rae explained, turning to Don for the answer to her question.

Don nodded, already grabbing the files, handing one to Colby to write on the other board. Out of the three previous murders, only the first one have two sets of lyrics. Don pointed to that one.

"Are these from the same musical?" Don asked, not too abashed for asking for help.

Rae shook her head. "It looks like that one" She circled the first quote, "is from _RENT_, which correlates with that victim. Angel, the drag queen, dies from AIDS." Tears started welling up. "Sorry, I had a friend who played Angel right before he died. Umm, this other one looks like it's from _Urinetown_-"

"_Urinetown_?" Otto cut in "What kind of a name is that? I mean, that show sounds kind of bad, no offence but then again, the title is only a hook and I would see that show to see what the hell it was about, like the subject matter is really all that is important, that's how I chose some of my courses, the weird titles that intrigued me, but of course, I couldn't do that after I choose my major but it would be fun to minor in something for grad school... "

Rae turned around, smiling at the young physicist, taking advantage of his need to breathe. "That's the question they want you to think. It's a very 'knock down the 4th wall' kind of show. I wouldn't suggest watching it, cops are on the bad side." A sarcastic smile played on her lips. "Um… the guy in this died from an horrific fall, but before he dies, he sings mushy-gushy stuff."

Don looked at her in amazement. "You got all that from 'Run, Freedom, Run'… I'm impressed."

Amita rolled her eyes. "I love theatre and I never thought of those. I'm going to get some coffee, it's much needed to compensate for jet lag. Nice meeting you, Rae."

"Oh, you too!" Rae called over her shoulder, already scribbling the next lyric. "I heard you went to England? I grew up there, maybe we could get some coffee and talk?"

Amita laughed. "Yes, of course! Oh, Charlie, pay close attention. She looks like you when you work. You two both like a good puzzle."

Charlie blanched. "I look like this?"

Laughter ricocheted off the walls.

"Umm, Agent Eppes." Don turned to the smiling woman who was making a quick ponytail out of her red hair.

"Call me Don."

"Okay, Don. This one is unusual. It's definitely the same killer but there is no lyric." Rae explained, glaring pointedly at what Colby had written.

The boys crowded around her. "Hey if it's my handwriting, I'm sorry, I just have really crappy handwriting." Colby raised his hands, surrendering himself to Rae's possible wrath.

"Nah, It's not that. But speaking about handwriting, sorry it's the teacher in me, but do you think that's just bad handwriting?"

Colby looked at her strangely. "Yea, everyone mix stuff up writing all the time."

Rae cocked her head, thinking. "Yea... Anyway this is bothering me. It just says 'Tony', repeated over and over."

"I don't know. Maybe you should sleep on it." Don suggested, guiding her to the door. "Colby can drive you home."

She nodded absentmindedly, mind working in double time, trying to understand the problem before her.

"Right this way."

Liz stuck her head into the room. "Hey Colby! The losers who claim to be our partners are ditching us to go pair up on some paperwork thingymabliger, wanna come and hunt down some suspects?"

Colby rolled his eyes. He knew that David had a crush on Nikki and was more then jealous of Ian, even if David didn't know it or admit it.

"Sure, I just need to drop off Rae home first."

* * *

><p>Liz could have sworn that she had seen Rae Smith before, but where...<br>"...know where to contact any of us. If you feel like something bad is going to happen, just call, no matter how small the feeling is." Colby said, waving as Rae got into her flat. The two agents were standing outside the car getting ready to walk into the theatre.

"What should we be looking for?" He asked Liz, not knowing the profile. She barely figured out a profile, and she was nowhere near what Megan was.

"He's probably really involved. A fan that gets overlooked. Each of the victims have stared as the roles they were dressed up in. I really don't know. Try anything." Liz was getting exasperated. They had no clue on what do to look for a suspect.

"Don Eppes method?"

"AKA winging the shit out of it... yea, pretty much."

Together, they walked into the theatre. Splitting up to cover ground, they passed around pictures of victims and past possible suspect. It took three and a half hours to get through half of the local theatres on their lists. At the office they met up with the rest of the team, including Charlie, who was busy studying Rae's work, starting to see what she saw, and flipping through files she was denied from seeing.

Liz was the first to dare speak. "We don't really have anything. Four possible suspects, with one already a victim so we can count him out."

Colby clicked the monitor and a face popped up. "Greg Jonvic, 47. A ravid fan with a local theatre blog. Asked many of the actresses out, most said no. Came to LA to start a career in Acting but failed. Joanna Lisbon, 34. Local actress, mostly at the same theatre as the most recent victim. Works at a local boutique. Known to through temper-tantrums even though she was a minor role. Disappeared a few weeks ago, not that she was missed much. Joseph Bianco, 48. Janitor for many of the theatres, or works as something else, lighting, set building etc. A creep, most of the girls see him hanging around the girls dressing room. Personally, I think that this is our guy. He probably stalks his victims and the guys got in the way of the girls he wanted." Colby voiced his theory. Nikki shook her head. "Nahh. I think he wanted the guys. He's seen some lame-ass show being put on and he wanted people to remember the greatest ones. And the most recent victim is a girl, the rest are guys, they were handpick. Also, I think he tried to get fame and fortune but didn't get it and now he is getting what he wanted." She folded her arms across her chest and put on her best 'I-am-from-the-bad-streets-of-LA-do-not-mess-with-me" look. Colby was so used to dealing with her, he just matched her glare and waited.  
>Don rolled his eyes. <em>Poor Parents... I never want more then 2 kids...<em> This team was a family. Don was the dad, David was the responsible older brother, Liz was the rebellious teenage sister, Nikki and Colby were defiantly twins, or the two kids that would always fight with one another, and Charlie was the baby brother who was a total genius, which is technically what he was. After a straight minute, Don finally was ready for them to stop. "5 bucks." was all he had to say. Colby and Nikki immediately grabbed their wallets and handed it to Don. Don glanced at David and they shared an eye roll. So predictable. If only they knew how predictable they really were.  
>Liz snatched the clicker from Colby, sitting on top of him, as she brought up Joe Bianco's records.<p>

"Oof! Really? Was that necessary?" Colby muttered as he tried to shift into a more conferable position for both of them.

"Yes. It was necessary for my enjoyment. Anyway, Joe Bianco has charges of petty thief, possession, one restraining order. He seems like a an accomplice, but he's our best bet." Liz said, enjoying Colby squirm. She had no feelings for him other then siblingly for the young man. He was handsome, yes, the rugged look defiantly worked for him, but she always saw him as a younger brother. Don's phone started buzzing, and he answered as the team looked on.

"Yea... Kay we'll be there in like... 10." Don looked down at his watch, he would have to call Robin and ask her to have dinner with him at the office. "Um, is there any writing? There is? I'll see you soon. Thanks Ian." He turned to Nikki as he closed the phone. "Ian was hunting a fugitive when he stumbled across the body. He's been listening to the news, so he called us. It's in an alley on Elton. Colby or David, I need you to pick up Ms. Sm- Rae. I would rather she stay in the car and we give her the lyric there, unless she is busy and can wait till tomorrow." Colby and David immediately faced each other to play Rock, Paper, Scissors. Nether liked having to pick up consultants (or what ever she was) and having to be responsible for them, it was just an extra, unnecessary hassle. David won, Colby swore and they were on their way.

Charlie shouted to them right before they all parted ways to separate cars. "The killer is probably stalking his victims first! See if any local actors have been noticing anything suspicious recently to try to catch this guy!"

* * *

><p>Don and Ian just stood there and stared at the body, same look of utter shock and confusion plastered on their faces.<p>

"Damn, She's almost as good as I am." Ian muttered, folding his Aviators onto his black shirt while running a hand through dark hair.

"Yea Yea, Yoda Jr."

The woman was dressed in 80's garb, no physical indication that she was a junkie other then the fact she died from an overdose, like Rae had predicted. Her short, multicolored hair was short, bright makeup and jewelry decorated her pretty face. Don crouched next to the body, CSI snapping pictures around him. The coroner next to him carefully looked in her mouth, only to find no note as Ian called Don's name. He was looking at the wall behind the victim, the lyric carefully written as well as a note from the killer himself.

WELL DONE EPPES, BOTH OF YOU.

MUST HAVE BEEN HARD ON YOUR EGO, BUT YOU'LL SURVIVE... MAYBE.

HERE IS YOUR RIDDLE, MAYBE YOUR LITTLE HELPER CAN WORK IT FASTER THIS TIME WITH A LITTER BIRDIE ON THE 3RD FLOOR, YOU DEFINITELY DON'T WANT THIS TO BE A CASUALTY:

AND YOU WILL KEEP ME SAFE,

AND YOU WILL KEEP ME CLOSE.

Don quickly wrote the parts onto sheets of paper, one to give to Rae who was hopefully in the car with Colby, and the other to give to his team. He quickly told Liz to go check the 3rd floor as he searched for Colby.

Colby was smart enough to park near, but far away enough that Rae could not see the crime scene. They were in light discussion of something, Rae sitting on the hood of the SUV and Colby leaning on the driver-side door. She hopped down when she saw Don coming, a serious look appearing on her face. She knew what she had to figure out, and hopefully more now if she wants to save lives. Bringing the paper closer to her, she was handed a red marker by Charlie, who followed Don, interested in her process. Silence was over the group for a long time, as Rae studied the paper, wrote something down, checked her phone, scratched something off, looked around nervously, and started the process over again.

The third time she looked around, Don put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you OK?" He asked.

She looked him in the eyes, hers full of fear. "I think someone has been stalking me, and with what this suggests..." She gestured to the quote.

Don slipped his arm around her shoulders as he maneuvered her so she was surrounded from all sides by himself, Colby and Charlie. "What does the lyric mean?" He asked, probably a little more forcefully then he would have liked, as he gestured to Nikki and Ian. As they joined the little group, Rae's hands shook as she pressed the paper against the car.

"These lyrics are two messages in one. You mentioned the extra note, so this has a little extra meaning to it. It's...it's from _Les Miserables_. Eponine's line. _Les Mis_ is rarely done here. There have been too many good productions, it's a very high bar to match. The most recent show was last year at... at my theatre. Lillianna Theatre. I was Eponine. There was a high school that did it, but I think it was targeted to me. He's taunting you. 'And you will keep me safe, and you will keep me close.' He's telling you that he will get me. I don't know where I saw it, but there is this face I keep seeing that I can't place." Don nodded when he saw how fearful she was. Turning to the rest of them, he thought of his options. He hated being leader sometimes. "Colby, you are the closest with her, Nikki find Liz and chose someone to go with them, there needs to be a female present, and Ian..." He looked at his friend. "If you have a second, can you look over the safe house? The eyes of the world's fourth best shot would be good, even if it is a second."

Ian scoffed. "Didn't you hear, Eppes? I got up to third. Even with that offence, I'll look over, even stay if you want. My partner" He said in disgust. Ian didn't like the whole 'partner' idea. "will be fine."

Don laughed. "Nah, you have a job to do. Plus, would you really chance at your partner getting all the glory?"

Ian smiled as Liz ran out of the building with a bundle in her arms. "Don, we have a problem..." She yelled softly as the bundle shifted and a little head peeked out of the top. Colby opened the car door for her and Liz placed the bundle of blanket, clothes, teddy bear, and child of about 5 or 6 on the seat.

"This is Sophie. Sophie, this is Don, Colby, Charlie, Ian, Nikki and Rae. Can you tell them what you told me?" Liz asked gently. The girl was perfectly fine, the way her mother, the victim, left her. Peacefully reading a book while her mother was forced to overdose. The child, Sophie, shrieked in delight as she saw Rae. "Ms. Smith!"

Rae smiled brightly for the child, and Don finally saw how she was such a good actress, as all the fear disappeared.

"Hi Sophie. Can you tell me what happened? It's okay." She turned to Don. "Sophie is in one of my classes, loves to read."

The girl licked her chapped lips. Rae knew Sophie often forgot to eat or drink when she was deeply involved in a book and was sourly disappointed when Independent Reading was done, though she was allowed to read with Rae during recess. Liz grabbed a water bottle and a power bar from the back and gave it to the child, who greedily drank and ate. After she swallowed she started her story. "A man came to see Mommy and she went outside with him after telling me to read my book. It was a long time ago because it was right after lunch and I don't notice anything when I'm reading my books, then Miss Lizzie found me and took me to you, Ms. Smith." Sophie had the same eyes and face shape as the victim as well as dark curly hair, probably the same color as the victim's natural hair.

Don sighed as he had another person to take care of. "Nikki, grab some clothes and books with Sophie and bring her to the office and find next-of-kin. Liz, go with Colby, Rae and Ian to the safe house. They'll fill you in. Charlie-" He turned to find the mathematician and child in a deep discussion. Charlie was trying to show Sophie a math-magic trick that Sophie was too smart to be awed by the simple math involved. She was definitely be practice for Charlie because his and Amita's children would be as smart if not smarter. Don tried not to laugh. "Sophie, would you like Charlie to show you the real math that he does at the office?" She nodded excitedly, and jumped out of the car to met Nikki who had clothes and books. "Charlie, you do know that that would be the dumbest of you and Amita's kids right?" He really did laugh out load as Charlie paled.

"I'm calling Amita and Dad." Charlie whispered as he took out his cell.

"Good idea." Don said, as he waved goodbye to everyone and made his way back to the crime scene.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything :( Except for Rae ;)  
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**Summary: After a body is found at a park, the FBI have been asked to help catch the Broadway Killer, a serial killer who dresses up local actors and kills them similar to famous broadway shows. After forgiving him for "the Janus list", Colby may lose some of his friends newly gained trust, after learning of complications with the woman he loves, who is also a suspect in the case. To make matters worse, Colby never introduced his girlfriend to the team, being with her behind their back. Colby/OC.**

**AN: The Colby/David is NOT SLASH! Just yummy bromance :)  
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* * *

><p>Amita, Larry and Allen rushed to the FBI headquarters after getting a call from Charlie about a 'minor emergency'. Scared for their friends and family, they skittered to a stop as they saw Charlie's predicament. Charlie was busy explaining some of his equations to a very young child, who was nodding like she understood, as she held a very large teddy bear. Nikki raced to the group, exhaustion on her face. She led them into the conference room, where Charlie was clearly over his head.<p>

"Sophie… You are six. How do you know algebra?" Charlie asked, exasperated, running a hand, again, through his messy hair.

"My class is special. We are really, really, really, really smart. That's why Ms. Smith teaches us." The girl explained to him, starting to get annoyed. Amita liked the girl. She was smart, adorable and all ready done with the whole 'young genius' idea. Charlie sighed, turning to find his family in the doorway.

"Sophie! This is my dad, Allen, my wife, Amita, and my best friend Larry. Amita is another mathematician and Larry is a physicist. Guys, this is Sophie. She is six and has an adept knowledge of math and I am babysitting her." Charlie pouted, looking at them for help.

"Hi, Sophie. I'm Amita. You understand Charlie's math?" Amita knelt down to child height. Sophie nodded, looking upset.

"What's wrong Sophie?" Amita picked up the small girl and sat her down on Amita's lap. Sophie glared at the other people in the room, resting her head on Amita's shoulder. Amita's gestured to the others to leave the room, which they did, but first Nikki started a recorder, hoping to find something.

"Can you tell me what happened sweetheart?" Amita asked as kindly and motherly as she could. Sophie sat up, worry on her face. Suddenly, she burst into tears, curling into the maternal woman. Though Charlie implied she was a genius, Amita knew that she was still a very, very young child. She rubbed the girl's back, cooing softly like her mother did when Amita was little. She waited patiently for Sophie to calm down.

"A man come to the door and dragged Mommy outside. She told me to hide. I told the agents that it was right after lunch, but I lied. Will I get in trouble?" Tears threatened to pour again, but Amita swiped them before they went anywhere.

"No! Not at all, especially if you tell the absolute truth now."

"I can't. No one tells the complete truth. I just can tell you what I think the truth is." Sophie's intelligent eye looked into Amita's. "But I understand what you mean. He took her yesterday, it was way passed my bedtime but I didn't have school today so Mommy let me stay up and read. She makes me snacks, just sliced fruit and water."

Amita glanced at Nikki who was listening in. She turned to Charlie and Allen.

"Can you guys cut up some apples and get a bottle of water?"

Amita had turned back to the young whiz kid. "Sophie, would you like me to get you some books and maybe make up some math problems for you to do? Just so I can see how smart you actually are? And then we can do what ever you want… Okay?" She asked. Nodding, Sophie turned her head to the door where Allen and Charlie just walked in with snacks. Allen placed a place of sliced apples and a bowl of peanut butter.

"I, uh, hope you're not allergic. My wife used to make apples with peanut butter and honey dip for the boys afterschool. Charlie loved peanut butter and Don needed protein before baseball." Allen smiled at Sophie who hesitantly tried some. Glee rose to her face as she found her new favorite dip.

Charlie's cell buzzed as Allen talked with Sophie. Sophie really was adorable, and Amita's face while she talked with Sophie had re-sparked the idea of children. He didn't bother to glance at the caller id.

"Hello?"

"They're taking her…" Colby's voice whispered, painfully, before a second of silence then a crash before Charlie was disconnected.

* * *

><p><em>[Meanwhile]<em>

Colby and David made sure to stay out of each other's way at the safe house. The last time Colby was in a safe house...it didn't turn out very good. For any of them. They stayed within hearing and seeing distance of each other. That was easy, the house was small and they knew it well. It was Colby's apartment, only 5 minutes from FBI headquarters, extra secure thanks to Colby's slight paranoia and Ian's careful eye. The walls were a light green, Colby's favorite color, with simple dark wood furniture. Colby was busy setting up cots and sofa beds while David attempted to make dinner. Liz was standing in front of Colby's bedroom door, waiting for Rae to be done changing. Colby had tried to get Rae to take the bedroom, but she turned down every offer, saying that she felt safer with them. She walked in, with Liz in tow, sat down on the couch and flipped through random movies on the huge TV. They chose a James Bond movie, laughing as the boys preformed a selection of scenes from the movie. Soon the girls fell asleep and Colby and David decided to stay up and drink a few beers.

"So much has happened..." David muttered, taking a swig.

"Yea... Man! You have no idea how hard I pressed to see if I could tell you. You were my partner, and I knew you would be the most hurt. I tried to give you hints, but I think they were way to hidden. I'm sorry bro." Colby looked at David for forgiveness. Since joining the FBI and Don's team, he looked up to David. David was always so calm, in control.

"I'm not going to lie, it hurt. But we all knew, deep down, that you were telling the truth when you called Charlie, it's a good thing we did before..." David stared down at his drink. Seeing Colby in the hospital was horrible, when only Allen and Megan was in the room. No family. No friends, other then Allen and Megan, trusted him enough to let themselves care. David tried to make himself go in, talk to his old partner, but he couldn't. Colby looked like crap. His face always in pain, even asleep, Doctors scared to put any more drugs in his system.

Colby rubbed the spot on his chest where he was stabbed with a needle. He was still sensitive, mostly to pain, and aftereffect of the drugs. "Seriously, Dude. Not to be all gushy, but I could not have had a better partner and-" Colby started.

David just stood up and offered a hand. He took it, grabbing David's strong forearm, and waited to see David's reaction.

"Enough with the bromance. You're an amazing partner yourself, even with your crazy triple agent and wolf tickets. You're my brother…who is going to watch Monty Python with me all night!" David held out a fist.

Colby bumped it, and then drew David into a 'man-hug'.

By midnight, David was out like a light and Colby was flipping through channels, waiting to wake Liz up for her shift. A rustle of sheets alerted him to Rae's waking. He put a finger to his lips, smirking at her wild hair and lethargic-ness. In the glow of the moon, he quietly signed to her. His high school in Idaho offered ASL, which he took to compensate for the barely passing Spanish grades, ending in Colby being fluent in both. Not understanding why, Colby found it easier to understand sign language then even English. Quietly, he moved to the couch, signing for Rae to join him. After making sure everyone was asleep, they started talking.

"About that handwriting…." Rae played with his fingers. "Have you ever been tested for… learning disabilities?" She tried to find the kindest way to put it.

He just stared at her. "You think I'm stupid."

"No! Just I have a student that has very similar handwriting. He has Dyslexia."

"I come from a small town in Idaho, what the hell is Dyslexia?"

Rae sighed. "Words; letters; numbers; all get jumbled up in your mind. Your 'b' and 'd's are permantly mixed, as well as 'q' and 'p'. You have a even harder time when you try to read it out load, and your scared every day that someone is going to make you read out load and then fire you because 'you are stupid'. Math was just as hard. You barely graduated, and no one knew or bloody cared enough to talk to you about it. Your brain is just hardwired differently. I know how to work with it, if you want to see if that helps..."

Colby just nodded, thinking about how it made sense. His stepfather called him stupid (and other things) all the time, though he never laid a hand on Colby. He carefully switched the subject, asking her about her students, tried not to think about disabilities.

The topic of their conversation switch from subject to subject as, unknown to the couple, Liz watched silently. She could perceive the attraction between the pair.

As Rae fell back asleep, Colby wandered to the tiny balcony, wondering if, and how, he should tell his team the truth about his girlfriend. He was so deep in thought he didn't notice the butt of a gun swinging toward his head.

He blinked. Hard. Reaching for his phone. Pressing speed dial. Hoping. Praying. Someone answer the goddamn phone.

"Hello?"

"They're taking her…" He blacked out as the cell tumbled from his hand off of the balcony and hit the ground, three stories down, and shattered.

* * *

><p>The woman blew-out her newly dyed hair, now more or less to it's original color, a gorgeous honey blond. She decided to splurge and add some platinum highlights and some sexy red streaks. It matched her abrasive personality. She slipped into a simple white tee shirt and jeans, adding converses and a tailored jacked. A touch of make up finished her transformation from the stupid little Rae Smith into her true self.<p>

"Colby Granger, just wait till I ruin your life right in front of your naive green eyes."

She walked out into the main room. They were in some warehouse, she didn't know (or care) where. As long as they found her. Rae Smith, the real one, was tied up in the middle of the room. She was dressed up in her Eponine costume, from when she was kidnapped. Dirty and sick from being in captivity for almost 2 months, the stupid bitch had to get some lung sickness, hacking up God knows what…

The Woman pulled Rae's blonde striped hair back.

"Well, well, well. Now that we got your little boy toy to start looking for you, actually me, we can truly ruin his life like I did with you and he did with me." The Woman growled as Rae yelped in pain.

"Please… Do whatever you bloody want with me! Leave Colby alone!" Rae begged, as The Woman tied a gag around her mouth.

"Yea, see I can't do that. He'll be happy that you died fighting and he doesn't have to deal with you ever again, ever since he had a taste of true women. Now shut UP!" The Woman shouted, hitting the moaning dancer across the face.

Rae kept quiet as she silently sobbed, mentally calling out to Colby not to look for her. To stop loving her, because she didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve a man like Colby, who was going to the ends of the earth and life, to save the girl who gave up on him.


End file.
